It is common practice for craftspeople to wear tool carrying devices, such as a pry bar, on their belts.
FIG. 1A shows an isometric view of a typical tool holder. This generic tool holder 100, intended for carrying a hammer 160, has a holding loop 110 that is attached to a tool backrest 120.
As shown in FIG. 1B, a craftsperson 130 may attach the generic tool holder 100 to their belt 140 by means of the generic tool holder 100 belt attachment 150. Once the generic tool holder 100 is attached to the craftsperson's belt 140, the holding loop 110 is substantially horizontal and provides a convenient place for a craftsperson to temporarily store a hand tool, in this instance, a 130 hammer 160. The generic tool holder 100 is a simple, but effective, device that frees up both of a craftsperson 130 hands while ensuring that hammer 160 readily available.
Another tool that is commonly used in the construction industry is a pry bar 200, shown in an isometric view in FIG. 2A. The pry bar 200 is a general purpose tool used for removing nails, opening crates, demolishing walls, lifting and in many other situations where one item has to be moved with respect to another.
A pry bar 200 is typically made of steel and has an elongated handle 210. At one end, the pry bar 200 typically has a claw 220 extending in a direction that may be generally perpendicular to the handle. The claw 220 may be joined to the elongated handle 210 by an outwardly curved fulcrum 230 that may have a lateral offset 240 from the elongated handle 210. At a second end, the pry bar 200 may have a second claw 290.
One of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that, because of its shape, a device such as a pry bar 200 is not as easily stored on a belt via a generic tool holder 100 as other common tools such as hammers or screwdrivers. A horizontal sectional view of a pry bar is a very slim rectangular shape. The design of the generic tool holder 100 is too simple to ensure that a pry bar 200, while hanging from such generic tool holder 100, does not tilt and fall off, with the potential of causing serious injuries or damages. Moreover, the design of the generic tool holder 100 dictates that a pry bar is held very close to the body of the craftsperson 130 because the opening that holds a pry bar is right adjacent to the tool backrest 120, which is directly attached to the belt 140. Therefore, due to its shape, either claw 220 or second claw 290 will stay abut the body of the craftsperson 130 and may be pushed against the body and cause injuries.
As shown in FIG. 2B, prior art pry bar holders 250 have been produced. Like the device shown in FIG. 2b, these prior art pry bar holders 250 tend to be complex. They may, for instance, have a separate pry bar holding slot 260 to accommodate the elongated handle 210, a separate claw rest 270 to accommodate the claw 220 extending in a direction generally perpendicular to the handle and a handle rest 280 to help prevent the pry bar 200 from twisting. The complexity of the prior art pry bar holders 250 make them significantly more expensive than, for instance, the simple generic tool holder 100 shown in FIG. 1A. The simple generic tool holder 100, on the other hand, causes many safety concerns, as indicated above.
The present invention overcomes the problems of the prior arts by providing a simple and inexpensive pry bar holder that is safe and easy to use.